


Let's Go Together

by H0siesEndgame



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: After 2x16, Alyssa is still mad, Cute, F/F, Fanfic, Hope got out of the magical coma, Hosie, Hosie doing 'normal' people things, Hosie fanfic, Hosie roadtrip, In this universe I shall pretend Handon broke up a while ago, Josie feels guilty, Josie wants to run away, Legacies, Magic, Oneshot, Protective Hope, Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted (Vampire Diaries), She feels made after what dark her did, Witches, she wants revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H0siesEndgame/pseuds/H0siesEndgame
Summary: After everything Dark Josie did, the real Josie is back and she has to live with the consequences of those actions. Though she sometimes questioned if it would be better if she just left, if they didn't have to worry about when she would break next.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 25
Kudos: 106





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based after 2x16, and Hope eventually got out of the coma. I get a lot of ideas for fics on Twitter, so I probably saw it there somewhere. The Hosies on there are literal geniuses, I swear.

Since Josie was the real her again, she felt...different. Herself but also not. And although she was in her right mind again, she wasn't the same person she was before it all. There were these new huge feelings that came with this. Ones she simply couldn't ignore. Guilt - for all of the evil things she did. Shame - for having caused such pain and fear. And for what she did to Hope in her subconscious, even though she was finally out safely. It took a bit of searching, but they finally found a spell and had Lizzie perform it. When Hope's eyes opened, when she was brought back to the land of the living, Josie couldn't have been happier.

All of what she felt, was the reason she put her magic in the coin. She couldn't trust herself anymore. Scared that she could break again at any given moment. She was terrified that some dark magic was still hiding in the corner of her mind, waiting to pounce and take over. Putting her magic in a coin, was her way of protecting everyone until she felt ready. Or unless there was an absolute emergency at hand.

Putting her magic in a coin, although it was for the best, it made her feel like an outsider at school. She felt like she no longer belonged. In spell class, the teacher had been about to ask her to demonstrate, then given her a sad glare when they remembered she couldn't. It had happened many times. She would hear the students laughing behind her in the class, and the moment she looked at them, their attitude would change completely. They would curl into themselves, try and look anywhere but at her. Josie knew why, of course. She would catch it in their eyes, or the way that they would flinch when she looked at them. Fear. They were scared. And everyone knew she was back to normal, that she was no longer sharing her mind with the darker part. That didn't erase their memories of what happened. All the drama and chaos was fresh for them, and the reason that many of them avoided her at all costs.

Josie couldn't blame them. She blamed herself. She sat back, allowing the magic to take over. All because she was scared of being strong, and thought that power meant evil. Hope showed her that it didn't - in fact, she was a visual representation of it. And Hope was the only one who looked at her, like really looked at her, the same way she had before everything. Like she was her friend, a human with feelings. If Josie looked deeper, she would realize that Hope still looked at her like she was her whole damn world.

The Gemini twin had given countless apologies already to more or less everyone she had hurt or threatened. So when she was walking down the hallways and saw Alyssa Chang - she prepared herself for one of her longer apologies. They had never been friends, but that didn't mean Josie didn't feel guilty. She had murdered her for heaven's sake, and she needed to let Alyssa know how sorry she was. Though she had a feeling Alyssa wouldn't accept her words so easily, not that she had to. 

"Alyssa! Wait up! Please!" She called after her, quickening her steps. Alyssa stopped, then turned around.

With her usual sass, she responded. "Ughh. I don't have time for this. What do you want?" Some would be able to pinpoint the underlying tone of fear, the way that her voice shook when saying 'you'. Josie noticed it and chose not to mention it. Knowing that the whole school was scared of her, well it hit her hard. Seeing it, that completely broke her. It shattered her heart, and she was trying her best to pick up the pieces. She wanted nothing more than to get back to the way things were, and she was willing to do anything to achieve that.

Josie took a second to catch her breath after chasing Alyssa. "I wanted to apologize. For what I did to you. I hurt you and I'm so incredibly sorry." Josie admitted. She wasn't going to beg to be forgiven, for Alyssa to accept her apology. She was, however, going to ask for it and work for it.

"By hurt, you mean murder. And it's going to take a lot more than that for me to move past what you did." 

"I understand that. I just needed you to know how sorry I am." Alyssa looked at her nails, seeming like she was bored and not paying attention. Though she did hear Josie, loud and clear.

"Oh, I know. I just don't care." In a second, Alyssa waved her hand and pinned Josie to the wall. Students watched from afar. They were intrigued by the interaction, yet too scared to intervene.

"Funny, isn't it? That you're basically just this helpless little human girl now that you don't have your magic?" She said, bringing a hand to Josie's throat. "There are so many different ways that I could kill you, take my revenge, and you wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop it. Maybe I should snap your neck in the same way you did mine." Alyssa chuckled. Her face told Josie everything she needed to know.

Josie's breathing was staggered. Tears collected in her eyes. Alyssa's grip got tighter and tighter. The brunette could try to fight back, to push her off, but what was the point? In the blink of an eye, Alyssa could have her back in the same position. Maybe she should give up for good. Or maybe she should go with her initial thought. It had kept coming back to her and was seeming more like the most logical choice. Run away from the school. Away from Alyssa. So she could simply be, so she could work on herself and so everybody else could live without fear. They'd all be better off without her anyway. 

"But death would be too kind," Alyssa stated, releasing her hand, still keeping a magic hold on Josie. "So instead, I promise you this. I will make the rest of your days at this school a living hell. And who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and I'll spend the rest of your days after school getting some payback too."

Then, Josie thought about leaving again. If Alyssa really wanted to get to her, then being far away from her family and her friends, the ones that she still had left, would be the best thing she could do. It would keep them safe from Alyssa, and safe from her. She was damaged, broken beyond repair. They didn't need her.

She felt her emotions building, and when Alyssa made it clear that she was done for the moment, Josie ran off to the first place she thought of, where she knew there would be no other people at that time of day. A place where she could be alone to let her emotions out. If she turned back, then she would have seen who was facing Alyssa, with a look that could kill.

"What the hell was that?" Hope growled, pushing Alyssa into the very position she had Josie seconds ago. Hope had gotten there right at the end, in time to watch Alyssa let the girl go and see Josie run off crying.

"What do you mean?" Alyssa smirked, and that angered Hope further. Further, to the point she was losing some control, and her eyes shifted to yellow. She could feel venom pooling in her mouth, and her fangs were ready to rip Alyssa's throat out. How dare she do that to Josie?

"Don't play dumb! You know what you did!" Hope yelled at her. The crowd was still there, watching with their curious eyes, but Hope didn't care. Alyssa had hurt, and probably threatened, one of the people that she cared about most. That earned her a taste of her own medicine. A little threatening done the Mikaelson way.

"She started it. I was just returning the favor. If you wanna protect your little girlfriend so bad, I'm more than happy to take my revenge on you too. Might make things interesting." Alyssa kept up her confident look. In all honesty, she was a little scared. Everyone knew not to pick a fight with Hope, yet here she was. And she wasn't about to back down just yet. 

Hope ignored the 'girlfriend comment' as much as she could, repressing the blush that was about to form on her cheeks. She shook her head to forget all of the fantasies that came to her mind. The tribrid applied more pressure to Alyssa's chest. The other girl coughed, finding it harder to breathe. 

"Oh please, we both know that I can end you before you even open your mouth." Alyssa visibly gulped at that, and she shivered slightly when the girl continued. "And if you didn't know, we Mikaelsons stick together. So, you make an enemy of me, you make an enemy of them. Do you really want to be facing thousand-year-old vampires and witches? Because I can tell you now..." Hope leaned into Alyssa's ear. "It will not be pretty," Hope growled for a second time, making sure Alyssa got a glimpse of her fangs.

Alyssa Chang was smart, so she knew not to take it further. She was all about saving herself, therefore she knew if the conversation went on longer, she'd probably end up getting a few cuts and bruises. She shook her head, to let Hope know her answer. Everybody knew that a fight with the Mikaelsons was one you'd never win.

"Good. Now I suggest you stay away from Josie because if you so much as look at her again, I won't hesitate to rip your heart out..." Hope trailed off, letting Alyssa go and taking some steps back. "That is...if you have one." And she started walking off, hearing the echoes of some 'oohs' and chuckles from the rest of the students. They had never seen a speechless Alyssa Chang before. It was rather amusing.

Her next goal was to find Josie. That wasn't going to be hard considering she had memorized the girl's scent. Not in a weird way, just because it always brought her comfort knowing Josie was nearby. The vanilla scent would calm Hope if she were ever too angry. Except in that case, when she saw what Alyssa was doing to Josie, she couldn't be calmed. All she saw was red.

Josie's scent lead Hope outside, down a path, through some trees, and to the docks. Without Josie even in sight, she could hear the girl's silent tears. And all she wanted to do when she saw the brunette hugging her knees to her chest, was hold her close. She wanted to whisper words of comfort, tell her that she was there for her no matter what.

That is what she did. She kneeled down behind Josie and wrapped her arms around her. "Shhh. It's okay. You're okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

Josie pulled back, already able to tell who had come to her. "But it won't be, Hope. Nobody's ever gonna look at me the same." Hope connected her hand with Josie's, rubbing soothing circles across her skin. Josie's eyes briefly trailed down to the new contact, and she tried her best not to become distracted by it. It would be so easy for her to over-analyze it.

"I do, and they will too. They just need some time." She said softly, drying Josie's tears with her free thumb. The girl fell quiet, the only sound filling the space was her sniffling. She felt a bit better with Hope there, but not completely better.

"Things is...I remember everything that I did. Every little thing. And I...I don't know how to make it better. I've tried apologizing, but some people didn't want to accept that."

"Alyssa's a bitch anyway. You don't need her." This brought a slight giggle out of Josie, and Hope smiled at it. 

"You saw?" 

"I did. And let's just say that she won't be giving you any trouble anymore." Josie smiled her softest smile in days. Through everything, Hope still cared. And that mattered to her. It mattered so incredibly deeply. And it always would. If she had her family by her side, if she had Hope, then she could get through even the darkest of days and come out the other end.

Josie leaned her head on Hope's shoulder, and Hope snaked an arm around the girl's back. She still wanted to leave. She just had to get away from the drama. And this was her chance to say goodbye to Hope.

"Y'know since you brought me back...I've been thinking of leaving. I packed a bag and everything. I just need to get away from everyone for a little while, focus on myself, and let the school have some space from, well...me. So I guess, I wanna use this as a chance to say goodbye. I don't know when I plan on coming back." Josie admitted. And she wasn't emotional anymore. Being with the auburn-haired teen had stopped her crying.

Hope squeezed her hand tighter, understanding why Josie wanted to go but hated the idea of being without her for a long period of time. Josie had made up her mind. Hope could see that, so she didn't try protesting. Instead, she decided to go for a different approach.

"I get it, Jo." That was what Hope said.

To say the least, Josie was surprised that Hope hadn't told her to stay. She thought Hope would've told her something different. Well, that's what she hoped. "You're not even gonna try and stop me?"

"No...because I'm coming with you." Hope said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait what?" Josie asked, feeling her heartbeat increase. Hope pulled away from Josie slightly, so she could look into her eyes. And Josie looked back into hers. Everything around them disappeared, leaving the two girls to be consumed by the other's presence.

"I don't want you to feel like you're alone again." Hope took a risk by putting her hand up to Josie's cheek. "So please, Jo, let me run away with you," Hope asked with her best puppy dog eyes.

"But what about school? My dad? He's not just going to let us go." Josie pointed out. That much was true, if Alaric knew, they wouldn't even get as far as the shops.

"He doesn't have to know. Nobody does. If you really want, you can leave him a letter, maybe missing out on the part of where we are going." Hope continued. It was certainly tempting to Josie. And she could see that Hope wasn't going to take no for an answer. To be honest, the idea of having company on her trip sounded nice. Especially if it was Hope's company.

"Are you sure about this?" 

"I've never been more sure about anything. I'd go anywhere with you." Hope said. And she would. Because Josie was everything to her. Probably one of the most important people in her life, not that she was ready to say that to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is much shorter than the first, but I feel like I needed to update it. I'm having some writer's block, and am not entirely sure where I want to take this story. So please leave suggestions in the comments of any tropes or scenes or literally anything you would like to see. I would really appreciate the help :)

On their way to Hope's room, they made a stop at Josie's room so she could grab her bag. Thankfully for them, Lizzie wasn't in. Certainly would've been challenging trying to explain why they were sneaking around so suspiciously, and when they would have told her why, Lizzie would've said there was no way she could leave. Still, she dug to the back of her closet, pulled the bag out, grabbed a pen and paper, and then followed Hope to her room. They moved quietly, trying to draw as little attention as possible. 

Hope rummaged through her clothes, through her bathroom, to grab all her essentials whilst Josie sat at the desk to write a letter for her father and sister. They needed to know what she was doing or else they'd send a search party after her. And she made a point of saying Hope was with her, figuring that might make it easier on Alaric as he'd know she had someone to protect her, especially with her magic stored away in the coin. The man would probably still punish them when they returned, but at least he would know they are okay. She made a point of saying how she was doing this for herself, but also everybody else too. 

"Okay. I'm ready." Hope sighed as she looked at her bag, which she hadn't packed very well. Parts were sticking out awkwardly and the zip looked as if it could burst at the slightest touch. It would do, and worst-case she could use a spell to hold it together. 

Hope bought two bus tickets and booked a motel room, of course getting Josie's input first on where they were going. Josie was just happy to get away for a while. Despite it being so late, they managed to get a room. They agreed on going for a week, and if they wanted to add or remove days then they could. They could even visit other places. Neither of them had really figured out a plan past getting a bus. 

"You don't have to pay for it all, Hope." 

"I don't mind, honestly. My Mikaelson trust can cover it." Hope reached her hand out, with a goofy grin on her face. "Shall we?" 

Josie returned the smile, and happily took the hand of her best friend. They were as careful leaving as they were entering the building, dropping the letter off in Josie's dorm (which was still empty). When Hope caught the scent of a particular twin, she pushed her and Josie around a corner gently and whispered a cloaking spell. They managed to get away with ease after that and avoided the few other people on the way. 

Their fingers and hands remained linked on the journey to the bus station. Waiting patiently, they talked here and there but mostly enjoyed the total silence. There were no other people there, and even though there were plenty of seats the two still found themselves side by side, their hips pressed together. Josie told herself it was because it was cold - that Hope was so close to her because her wolf runs hot. If she let herself think otherwise for even a second, then this whole trip could turn into a disaster of her pining for a girl who doesn't see her in that way. Then again, there would probably still be some of that. Josie could hide her feelings pretty well, but that didn't mean she didn't give the odd longing stare from time to time; it was just too hard to resist. Sometimes, when Hope Mikaelson was close, she couldn't think straight. Her thoughts would wander, and sometimes she would let herself imagine holding Hope, or maybe even kissing her. Sooner or later reality would break through and she'd gaze into Hope's eyes and remember they weren't hers to get lost in. 

"Anything specific you want to do on this trip, Jo?" Hope interrupted Josie's train of thought. The brunette blinked a few times as if she'd forgotten where they were. It was so easy for her to get caught up in her thoughts of Hope. 

"Just normal teenager things. For once, I want to be able to escape all things supernatural, just you and me. I want to get back to who I was before the dark magic." Josie licked her bottom lip, the cold likely made it drier and Hope couldn't help trailing her eyes down to watch it. It didn't take long for Josie to catch on, and Hope looked away with a strong blush. She couldn't believe she had been so obvious. 

When the bus came, they got on and took seats near the middle. Other people had gotten on from other stops, making the bus half full. Hope took the seat by the window and Josie sat next to her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They passed quiet towns. People were walking along, leaving shops, talking with one another, and Hope watched through the window. It was night and yet the town had plenty of life. A swarm of colored lights was dotted along the edges of buildings, and some in the trees. Branches reached out over the paths, and the odd leave swayed to the floor. She was itching to paint, to capture the scene as it flew past her gaze. She followed the sight until it was gone, wanting to burn it into her memory. Inspiration had struck, and she told herself she could come up with the basic concept later, with the drawing book she had packed. The tribrid then turned to Josie, curious if she had seen the area outside, but came to see that the girl was too focused on a coin in her hand. 

"Is that the coin?" 

"Yeah. Didn't think it'd be a good idea to leave it lying around the school, especially now that everyone hates me." She mumbled, her eyes remained glued to the shining metal. 

"Not everyone." 

"Oh really?" Josie scoffed, and she actually looked up slightly. 

"Yeah. I don't hate you, pretty sure your dad and sister don't either." Hope spoke honestly. She could tell that Josie meant what she said, and that made it all the more heartbreaking. All she wanted was to hold Josie and shield her from all the bad the world had to offer. Hope was just so damn protective when it came to Josie. She wasn't like that with Landon, and they had actually dated. 

"Except they might now that I'm running away." Her eyes trailed back down, and she put the coin back in a safe pocket. 

"I doubt that, Jo." Hope reached for Josie's hands. She worried that it might seem weird as it wasn't the first time that day that she had held Josie's hands. She came to the conclusion that it would be even more strange if she suddenly dropped her hand, and it wasn't like she didn't enjoy it. It was a nice feeling, and a reassuring one too. "You're still that selfless girl you were before, the one that put other people's happiness before her own. You just need to find her again, that's all." 

"Maybe. I guess that's why I decided to run away. And you were crazy enough to join me." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Having the siphoner asleep on her shoulder was something new, but she wasn't complaining. Even in her sleep, Josie still had that pout on her lips that made her so adorable. Hope could see all of her features, how smooth her skin was. The girl was truly beautiful. She was shivering slightly, and Hope realized she must be cold. Trying not to make any sudden movements, Hope slowly reached for her bag and grabbed out her blanket. It was a fluffy one that she carried almost everywhere and was putting over Josie. The sleeping siphon cuddled further into Hope's side and let out a content sigh. Josie seemed peaceful, and Hope didn't want to disturb that. She leaned towards the girl's forehead and placed a gentle kiss there, finally giving in to one of her deepest desires, if only partly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though it wasn't long, I hope you still enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long. I wasn't really sure what to write, and I ended up rewriting and changing stuff a bunch, but I have finally gotten to a place where I'm pretty happy with it. So here you go :)

The bus stopped, and Hope had to wake Josie up. She felt tired too, but she refused to sleep in case they missed their stop. And frankly, staying awake meant she got to watch Josie. So really, it wasn't all that bad. So what if it was slightly creepy? Hope couldn't help it. She came to recognize all of the little things Josie did whilst sleeping: small huffs of breath, her nose twitching every so often, and the soft words she'd mumble. It was cute, adorable really. And it only made Hope fall for her more - if that were possible. 

Gently, she nudged Josie's shoulder, and the girl eventually opened her eyes. She lifted her head. not knowing the position she was in until she felt her lips brush against smooth skin. She blushed when saw Hope looking down at her, smiling brightly. It was impossible for Josie not to smile back, equally as wide. 

"Let's go." Hope spoke. The two grabbed their bags and walked off, making sure to thank their driver on the way out. Lucky for them, it stopped within a minute's walk from the motel. Hope kept an arm around Josie's back, to help support the still tired girl. For all she knew, Josie could collapse from exhaustion. 

The process of actually getting into the room had been a rather quick one. Hope had shown the person at the desk evidence of her online booking, and they'd given her a key. Hope led them to the room. It was small and simple; it had two beds, a tv, and a bathroom. There was a small painting of (what Hope guessed was) the surrounding town on one of the walls, adding some extra color to the space they'd be occupying for the next week. There was a mirror near the door, next to a place they could keep their clothes. 

It took a whole five minutes for them to settle in, chose their individual bed, and for Josie to fall asleep again. Hope chuckled lightly and made sure to be quiet in the bathroom as to not disturb Josie. She checked to make Josie was okay, then got into her own bed and was soon drifting off to sleep. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"Hope!" Josie screamed, sitting up abruptly in her bed and grasping at her shirt. Her heart was thumping loudly, ringing in her ears, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Images of her nightmare were still painfully clear. She could still hear herself saying 'I don't even think she likes you' as she lifted Hope into the air, and she could still feel the evil smirk on her lips as she watched Hope plummet to her death. She could still remember her painful screams at her darker self from deep within her own mind, begging that version of herself to stop. She remembered thinking how far her alter ego had been from the truth, knowing she'd probably said it to anger the real Josie. And her lungs were still yet to fill with air. 

The tribrid shot up at the screaming of her name. She turned to Josie, who was staring straight ahead, clearly hyperventilating. Hope knew what being in such a state felt like, what it felt like to be in that moment between dream and reality, where the lines feel so blurred, where you can't tell what's real and what's not. She sprinted to Josie's side and pulled her into a tight hug. 

"I've got you, love. I've got you." Hope whispered, brushing a hand through brown locks, then she realized she'd let the nickname slip. Josie's eyes were blown wide, tears flowing freely. It took her some time, but eventually, she registered the arms around her and sunk into them, letting the emotion take over. She cried and cried. "It was just a dream," Hope added, securing her arms. 

"Except it was almost real. I dreamt that...when I had you hovering in the air on my b-birthday, that Lizzie d-didn't get there in time. I-I killed you, Hope." She sobbed, her head resting below Hope's chin, pressed closely to Hope's chest. Her whole body shook in her emotional state, and all Hope wanted was to be there for her. To be whatever Josie needed. 

"Hey, look at me." Hope pushed herself away from Josie, and stroked her cheek as she said "I'm okay, see? I'm fine, you're fine. We're safe. It was just a dream." And Josie jumped straight back into Hope's arms, terrified to let go and this time without the constant flow of tears. She started to calm down, and her breathing began to even out. Hope kept stroking her hair. Josie had been so focused for so long on helping others and making sure they were happy, that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be held. And it was nice, it felt really nice. Even better when it was Hope. She felt protected and loved. Josie felt cared for. It was just what she needed. 

Hope got up to go to her own bed and to leave Josie to sleep in peace when she felt something on her wrist. She turned to see that Josie had stopped her, and was staring at her with a look she'd seen many times before. The pouty face, although maybe that was more because it was the middle of the night and she just wanted to sleep. 

"Stay? Please?" Josie asked with hopeful eyes. 

"Always." Hope jumped back into the bed and let Josie cuddle into her side. If this was what the week away had in store, Hope wouldn't mind at all. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hope was the first to awaken from her rest. The sun was blinding as it crept in through the large window, making it hard to focus. She went to move, feeling a weight on her chest and remembering the events of the previous night. Josie had asked her to stay with her, and whilst it was because she'd had a nightmare and there was nobody else around, it still made Hope happy to know that Josie sought comfort from her. They were a pile of limbs mixed with blankets on the bed. During the night, their legs had tangled around each other, and Josie had moved to be almost completely on top of Hope. When the tribrid worked that out, her cheeks went a bright red color. Not that she would've admitted it, but her mind certainly went to places it shouldn't have. It went to places that weren't surprising when thinking of Josie, yet were most definitely inappropriate given the situation. 

Eventually, Josie opened her eyes with a loud groan, and then she buried her head further into Hope's neck. The tribrid chuckled slightly, and Josie felt the vibrations of Hope's voice against her cheek. 

"We should get up." Hope said, trying to peel Josie off of her. She was unsuccessful as the brunette only held on tighter. Her arms were securely wrapped around Hope's waist, and if Hope didn't know better she'd think Josie had super strength. 

"Never. It's not like we have to be anywhere." She huffed. Hope could tell that Josie wasn't planning on moving, so she used her superior strength and speed to flip their positions, allowing her to hover over the other girl's body. Josie no longer felt tired, in fact, she felt wide awake, trapped between Hope's arms on either side of her body. Her cheeks felt warmer than normal, a burning sensation with Hope looking down at her the way she was. Normally she'd roll her eyes at Hope's smirk, but it only gave her butterflies then. 

"It's 10 am, Jo...and I'm hungry." Hope reasoned. To Josie's dismay, Hope climbed off of her and went towards her bag. "I'm gonna have a shower, don't you dare go back to sleep." Hope gave her the most serious stare she could. Josie willed her mind to erase thoughts of Hope standing under a steaming stream of water - obviously, that didn't work. She felt grateful that Hope wasn't some sort of mindreader. 

"O-okay." Hope closed the bathroom door, and Josie soon heard the sound of water flowing from the showerhead. Josie despised how much control Hope had over her, and despised it even more that Hope wasn't aware of it. Josie would try to tell herself to move on, except it hadn't worked the other million times she attempted it. How could she possibly move on from Hope Mikaelson? How could she ever fall out of love with a girl who almost died to save her, who dropped everything to run away with her? She couldn't. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

They decided on getting breakfast at a diner across the street. For a relatively quiet town, it was a rather busy diner. They found a booth in the corner, and a kind lady came to give them some menus. Hope had gotten some money out of the bank and was more than happy to pay for it. 

"You really are a great friend, Hope. Thank you." Josie said. 

"No worries." Hope paused, considering her next words. "Hey, Jos?" 

"Hmm?" She hummed. 

"Remember how you said you wanted to do normal teenager type stuff?" Hope looked for confirmation from Josie, who nodded with a confused frown. Hope tried not to look at the girl's lips for too long, in fear it would give her away. "Well, on the door of the diner there was this poster that said about a fair that's happening nearby. I was wondering if you'd like to go?" Hope fumbled nervously with her fingers. She had no clue why she was nervous. Actually, that was a lie, but she wasn't sure if going to a fair was the type of thing Josie had in mind when they had the conversation about the trip. Hope thought it would be fun, but she left the decision down to Josie, seeing as Josie was the one who wanted to go on the trip in the first place. 

"Hope Mikaelson...are you asking me on a date?" Josie teased, raising her brows with a smirk. Hope face went beet red at the question. She hadn't thought of it like that. Surprisingly, it hadn't even crossed her mind that it could be a date. Oh god, what if Josie thought- 

"Kidding. I'd love to go." Josie smiled, feeling guilty for making Hope so flustered. 

"Oh...uh, great. How about we go a little after breakfast?" 

"Sounds perfect." Josie's eyes drifted back down to the menu, struggling to make a decision. "Do you know what you want?" She asked the tribrid. The other girl was completely lost in thought, not even looking at the menu, staring at absolutely nothing. She couldn't get over the date comment, even if Josie had just been messing with her. "Hope?" 

"Sorry." She apologized. Hope felt stupid for zoning out like that, but in all fairness, it wasn't her fault. As soon as Josie said what she said, Hope's brain flooded with many possibilities of what a fair date with Josie could look like: them eating cotton candy, Hope kissing her at the top of the Ferris wheel, the two of them competing in one of the silly little games. "I think I'll get the breakfast burrito." She cleared her throat, wondering how it got so dry out of nowhere. "What about you?" 

"I'm thinking I might get the waffles." Josie still appeared to be contemplating what to get, so Hope didn't question her further. 

A different waiter came to take their order, and Hope was the one who lists it to him, starting with the drinks. Josie watched closely, feeling something pool in her stomach when the young man got closer to Hope as she pointed at the menu. He was looking at her with something that absolutely infuriated Josie. If Lizzie were there, she'd tell Josie that's she's going insane, that the young man is just being polite and doing his job, but Josie knew that would be wrong. How? Because the waiter was long at Hope in the same way she did when her feelings first developed; like she was an angel - the most beautiful person to walk the earth. And that was true in Josie's eyes. That was how she saw Hope. She shouldn't have been jealous, it wasn't like she had a right to be. She and Hope weren't dating. She just had a major crush on her and was more than likely deeply in love with her. 

They enjoyed their breakfast, and Josie couldn't help but give the waiter an angry glare when he came to clear the table of their plates. It was lucky for her that Hope hadn't noticed. They went back to their room to tidy themselves up, and grab a few bits and pieces they'd need, and then headed to the fair. The first thing Hope saw was the Ferris wheel, and she hoped that she'd convince Josie to go on it with her at some point. 

Josie would pick a ride or game to play, then Hope would. It had been going back and forth like that for an hour until Hope wanted to play the game where you hit milk bottles over, and Josie wanted to get herself some cotton candy. Hope handed her the money, then handed a note to the woman running the game. She watched Josie's figure walk away. As hope threw the balls, never missing a bottle, she kept her sense of smell focused on Josie's scent, just in case. She ended up winning a toy of her choice and smirked when she saw the one that she wanted. 

Josie walked back over to Hope with a happy grin as she devoured her delicious treat. When she saw the auburn-haired girl, she instantly noticed the look in her eyes, the mischievous glint. 

"What?" Josie asked, wondering what had Hope in such a playful sort of mood. 

"I have something for you. Close your eyes and hold out your hands." Hope said, giving clear instructions. Josie motioned her head to the cotton candy, trying to convey the fact that she couldn't put it down. "Fine, then just close your eyes." Hope tried again. Josie listened, and when she wasn't looking, Hope pulled the toy out from behind her back. "Open your eyes." She giggled, and Josie couldn't believe what she saw. 

"Seriously?" Josie said, trying to sound annoyed, but it came off more as amused when she laughed. 

"What? I thought it was fitting." Hope waved the toy up higher, just to make sure Josie could see it. "You were the pig, after all," Hope winked, chuckling as she glanced down at the small pink toy. Josie thought back to that time when Hope has saved her from herself. It never dawned on her to ask Hope if she remembered some of the stuff she had said as the pig, perhaps because she'd rather forget that she had done that in the first place. 

"I hate you." Josie sighed, putting her treat into one hand so she could take the toy from Hope. 

"No you don't." Hope smiled, in the kind of way that made Josie fall for her when she was younger, in the way that had made those feelings stay for years. 

"No, no I definitely do." Josie played along with it, enjoying that they could just mess about without the fear that a monster or problem could show up at any second. She took the last bite of her cotton candy, which she had finished incredibly quickly, and dumped the stick it was on in the bin. 

"Oh really? Well, I guess I hate you too." Hope turned around, sauntering away. She wondered how long it would take Josie to stop her and- 

"No Hope, don't go!" Josie said, as she rushed up to Hope and hugged her from behind. Her head rested on the tribrid's shoulder and her hands went straight around Hope's waist. They stayed like that for a good couple of minutes, both relishing in the feeling of being so close to the other. It was something they both wished could happen more often, and prayed that it would never end. It was something Hope had missed more than she could have possibly realized during her time in Malivore, making Josie hating her when she returned that much harder. 

"Fancy joining me on the Ferris wheel?" Hope questioned her younger friend, turning herself around so that she could look at Josie, though neither of them attempted to separate themselves. Hope was more than happy to stay in Josie's arms for the rest of the night, hell probably the rest of the century. 

"You're kidding?" Josie scoffed. "You know I hate heights." 

"Oh come on, I'll be right by your side." Josie continued to refuse, shaking her head vigorously. "Please? For me?" Hope did her best to pout and gave Josie puppy dog eyes and Josie came to some realization that she'd never been able, nor would she ever be able to say no to Hope. One of the very few negatives of being absolutely and irrevocably in love, she figured. 

"Fine, but if we fall off or something, then I'm never speaking to you again." Josie walked towards the Ferris wheel, leaving Hope to catch up. 

And so the pair waited in line, until, after what felt like years, they finally got on. Josie left no space between her and Hope when they sat down. The instant the ride started to move, Josie clutched Hope's hand with the one that wasn't holding the cuddly little pig. Hope was trying (and failing) to contain her laughter. 

"It's not funny, Hope!" 

"Right. Sorry." Hope said, though she absolutely wasn't sorry. The ride kept moving and stopping, and Josie gripped Hope's hand even tighter when they reached the top. She buried her head into Hope's neck, but when she realized she hadn't fallen to her death, she was brave enough to look out at the town below them. There were buildings upon buildings, roads filled with cars, people walking and talking. The sun was had almost disappeared completely behind some mountains, painting the sky in shades of orange, yellow, and pink. Josie no longer felt scared. No, she felt safe, at peace, with Hope by her side as she looked at the view. 

"Really pretty view, isn't it?" Josie said, still looking out ahead of them. 

"The prettiest." Hope replied, only she wasn't looking at the sight - she was looking at Josie, loving the smile that she wore. "It's breathtaking." She added, her eyes not moving from Josie's face. They wouldn't even if she wanted them to. Josie stopped admiring the sight and turned to face Hope instead. She was surprised to see that the girl was already looking at her. She felt silly for wondering, for hoping, that Hope hadn't actually been talking about the view seconds ago. She blushed at the thought of Hope saying those things about her, even though the chances of it were slim. 

They stared into each other's eyes like they had done countless times before. Josie thought she was imagining it, but this time it felt different. Hope reached a hand to the side of Josie's face, pushing brown strands behind her ear. Hope traced her finger's along the other girl's jaw. Either Josie had finally lost it, or Hope was leaning in. Maybe she was the one leaning in, but either way, their faces were getting closer, so much closer and she thought that maybe they were going to kiss, but that all came crashing down when the cart jolted. Josie felt embarrassed at the sudden squeak that escaped her, thinking that she was about to fall off when it was really just the ride moving again. 

The moment had passed, that was if there even had been a moment. Josie chanced another look at Hope, who was just looking ahead and decide she had imagined the whole thing. Her inner feelings had really started to mess with her, and she actually believed Hope was about to kiss her. _I'm an idiot._

When they got off, everything seemed normal. Hope was still smiling and walking by her side. 

"I'm gonna go get a drink. Do you want anything?" Josie checked. 

"I'm good. I think I'm gonna try that bottle game again." Hope rubbed the back of her neck. She couldn't believe she thought they had actually been about to kiss. Like, she genuinely thought Josie was leaning in to kiss her. Never in her life had Hope felt so idiotic, so stupid, though she was relieved Josie hadn't said anything or pointed anything out. 

Hope knocked every single bottle down again with such ease, making it seem simple. She had her werewolf abilities to thank for that. Hanging up high, she saw another toy that she just knew she had to get for Josie, maybe to make up for the other one she got as a joke. 

The siphoner (although she was not one at that moment) happily sipped at her lemonade and met back up with Hope. 

"So I feel kinda bad for making a bit of a joke with that toy." Hope pointed to the pig, pinning her full hand to her back. 

"Don't worry about it. I actually thought it was funny." 

"Oh...good. But I uh-I decided to get you another one anyway. Here." She held it out for Josie to take. The taller girl took it with a huge smile on her face. It was a white wolf, with fluffy fur. "It umm...it kinda reminds me of my wolf self. I thought that if you had it, then it would be like I'm always with you, no matter what, so you don't have to feel lonely. It can be a reminder of our friendship, which by the way, really means a lot to me." Hope felt incredibly vulnerable at that moment. It wasn't often she did things like that, and whenever she did it was normally with or for Josie. 

"It means a lot to me too." Josie suddenly felt as if she were going to cry, and she successfully managed to hold back the tears. Hope had always been such a thoughtful person. First with the talisman, and then with the toys. "This is really sweet, Hope. Thank you." She cuddled the two toys close to her chest, but that wasn't quite enough, so she pulled Hope in too. 

"You're welcome, love." The nickname Hope used wasn't new, yet it was the first time Josie had been able to properly acknowledge it as the occasion had been after her nightmare the previous night. She blushed all the same, grateful that Hope couldn't see her face. 

Their first day away, and it had already been all Josie could have possibly hoped for. Only one day and Josie was sad to think that their time away would end, that they only had six days left. She wanted to be with Hope, in this fun and exciting way for as long as she possibly could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this update! More to come soon!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that updating this fic is taking forever. I'm struggling to write this as I find myself having much more inspiration to write a different Hosie story that I'm planning.

It turned out that getting a room with two beds had been entirely pointless. After Josie's first nightmare, Hope had slept right by her side each night. Neither of them complained. If their faces had gotten too close a few too times whilst in dark, neither of them mentioned it. If they'd both had the urge to just close damn distance and connect their lips, neither of them acted on it. So what if they had been blatantly staring into each other's eyes for several minutes on several occasions? They didn't care. Maybe the siphon had pretended to suddenly fall asleep a few times when Hope noticed her gaze, and maybe Hope didn't fall for it, but she never brought it up. She just put it down as Josie being worried about her, which had happened as a result of many of the nightmares, or because of them anyway. 

Halfway through the week, Josie wrote another letter for her family, just so that they knew she wasn't dead, which Hope sent to the school by using a spell. Hope always had a cloaking spell running, which Josie had asked for as she didn't want anybody to go looking for them. 

When it came to their last day, the two of them were surprisingly sad about it. They refused to get out of bed and cuddled for longer than they had been on the other days. Josie's head was on Hope's chest, and her arm stretched across Hope's waist. The older girl stroked Josie's hair, somehow always amazed by how soft the strands were. 

"Last day here." Hope sighed heavily. 

"Yeah. I can't believe it's been a week." Josie didn't look up, she kept her head where it was. She found comfort in being so close to Hope that she could hear (and sort of feel) her heartbeat. She listened to its steady rhythm and noticed how her feelings for Hope grew with each beat. 

"Me neither." 

"I don't want it to end." The twin admitted. She really didn't. The week had been everything she could have wanted and more, but she still wasn't ready to go back. She'd go on another ten of those trips with Hope if she could. Except, she didn't know if Hope wanted that too. 

"It doesn't have to, y'know." Hope said and Josie was surprised. She honestly thought Hope would be ready to return to the school. Her confusion melted away when she lifted her head to look into those blue eyes, but her hand remained where it was, drawing random patterns along the tribrid's shirt. 

"I thought you'd be bored of me by now." 

"Never." Hope smiled widely, stroking Josie's cheek and then allowing her hand to find brown locks again. "I was thinking, umm...only if you want to of course, but umm-I thought that maybe we could go to New Orleans. It's just that I've always wanted to show you around the place, which I'm guessing you didn't get to do last time you were there. And the music there, oh my god it's-" 

"Hope..." Josie chuckled at the way words tumbled from Hope's mouth. It was adorable, though not as adorable as the blush on Hope's face. "I'd love to go there." 

"Oh...p-perfect." Hope successfully collected herself before speaking again. She wore her typical smirk. "And hey, maybe you'll get to meet some of my family if they're around. I'm sure Aunt Freya would like to see you again." Josie's eyes practically fell out of their sockets, and Hope's laugh rocked her entire body. Her hands clutched her stomach, in an attempt to ease the pleasant ache of her chuckles. 

"Oh god. She's probably still pissed from the first time." Josie facepalmed, with images of Freya crashing to the floor (all thanks to her spell, of course) flashing through her mind. Yep, the woman definitely still hated her. Josie wouldn't be surprised if the woman yelled at her. 

"Nonsense." Hope said after managing to contain her laughter. "Now we need to pack and get ready. We have another long bus journey ahead of us." Josie groaned a the idea of spending more hours on a bus, but then she thought about how she'd get to see and excited Hope in her home town and realized it would all be worth it. They both leaped out of the bed to get ready for the day ahead. 

Hope contacted her Aunt Freya to ask if she and Josie could stay with her, and of course, Freya said yes. She was more than happy to see her niece again. It felt like they all rarely got to meet in one place anymore. Rebekah and Marcel were always off traveling, as were Kol and Davina. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The bus ride was uneventful and just as boring as the first. All that happened was them sending another letter back to the school, to let Alaric and Lizzie know that they were going to another location. When they finally arrived in New Orleans, they once again thanked their driver as they got off. The streets were bustling and bright. Josie looked around in awe. For a girl who'd grown up in a small and quiet town, it was odd to see a place with such life. 

"It's amazing, right?" Hope said, and Josie was still looking around, taking everything in. All of the tall buildings, all of the colors, all of the people, all of the sounds and the smells. It was all so pleasant. Josie could sit and watch it all day. The sight reminded her of some of the paintings Hope had done in the past, which made it all the more special. She imagined a younger version of Hope, running around the streets, listening to the music, and enjoying all the city had to offer. 

The tribrid felt brave, and so she grabbed Josie's hand, intertwining their fingers. It shouldn't have made her so nervous, after all, they were always holding hands for spells, but holding her hands for no other reason than to feel the warmth of skin to skin, was different. It made her heart race in the best way. "I really can't wait to show you around." 

Hope guided them to her home, her childhood home. Freya and Keelin had been living there since...well, since everything happened. They wanted to keep it in the family, and what better way to do that than to raise their child there. As soon as the two friends stepped through the door, Hope felt herself freeze. It had been years, and yet it still felt strange to be there without her parents. Truthfully, she hadn't been back there since their deaths, at least not for extended periods of time. If she were to ever see her family, they had gone to Mystic Falls instead. 

"You okay?" Josie tugged their hands, forcing Hope to look her way. The girl couldn't muster up words to describe what was going through her mind, so she opted for a tight-lipped smile instead. 

"Hope." She turned to see Freya, with Nik on her hip and Keelin standing by her side. Any uncertainty she felt withered away and she chuckled as her baby cousin ran up to her. Kneeling to his level, Hope stretched out her arms, ready to engulf him in a long-awaited hug. She waited until the very last second, until his head rested on her shoulder, to close her arms around him, and when she did she let out a content sigh. 

"Hey, kid." Her left hand went to the top of his head, ruffling his blonde locks. The boy let out a cute giggle, wriggling in her arms, hoping she'd stop - which she did. 

"Who's the girl?" He asked, taking a peek at the girl - who to him, was a total stranger. 

"She's my best friend, Josie." He pulled away from his older cousin, eyes going from Hope to Josie, then back again. He seemed to stare at Josie for a while, though her gaze was elsewhere. She anxiously looked ahead at both Freya and Keelin, wondering how on earth Freya would react to seeing her again. She was ready to be on the receiving end of some sort of spell, even if Hope did reassure her that everything would be fine. Freya was easily one of the most powerful witches alive, aside from Hope and Bonnie Bennett, so it made sense why Josie would be nervous. Although, Freya was one of the nicest people alive too, so she wouldn't just throw a spell at Josie, which the girl didn't know at the time - not for sure. 

Nik finally looked at Hope with one of the brightest smiles. "She's very pretty." He said and Hope chuckled lightly. She trailed her eyes up to Josie, giving her a quick nod, before responding to her cousin. 

"I know." She went over to greet her aunts, giving them both incredibly tight hugs. It felt as if she hadn't seen them in forever. First, she hugged Freya. As she was hugging Keelin, Hope could hear Josie talking to her other aunt. 

"About last time, I-" Josie was unable to finish her sentence as she got pulled into an embrace. She's not sure what she had been expecting (maybe she was exaggerating when she thought Freya would use a spell on her), but it certainly hadn't been this. At the very least, some resistance, some hesitance to welcome Josie into her home, but no. The woman was more than happy to see her. 

"Thank you, Josie. I never got to say it before, but thank you for bringing my niece back to me." It had bugged Freya back then, not knowing who the random person in family photos was; a constant feeling of missing something. There was always a terrible ache, a question at the back of her mind that she couldn't possibly answer. That was until Josie showed in New Orleans, and everything fell into place. A girl from a small town had given Freya all the answers she needed, and the woman felt incredibly grateful. 

"Oh..." The girl had no idea what to say, she simply let the moment happen. "Y-you're welcome." The two broke the contact as they heard the door opening. Josie saw a tall man standing beside a slightly shorter woman. If she had to guess, she would say it was Kol Mikaelson and his wife, Davina. They did a lot of work on the Mikaelson family in school, so it was easy enough for her to guess who the people were. Plus, she'd seen plenty of photos in Hope's room or on her phone whenever they'd hung out. 

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Hope knew exactly who had just walked in. She turned to the door, running straight to the person. 

"Uncle Kol!" She exclaimed in pure joy. Then, she moved to hug Davina. Before Hope knew it, Marcel and Rebekah were walking through the door too. It was a full-blown reunion. Hope hurried it along because she could tell that her friend was feeling more than a little awkward. It made sense, the girl had probably only been expecting Freya and Keelin, so to be thrown it to the middle of the whole Mikaelson family must've certainly been a little overwhelming. 

They once again picked up their luggage as Hope pulled Josie up to her childhood bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea how old to make Nik, but I guess we'll say he is like 2 years old...ish. Hope (no pun intended) you all liked this chapter. I don't think there will be many more, because there's only so much I can do with this plot.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Constructive criticism is appreciated as always :)


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